Koppen With Comics and Critics

Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Callum McLean as they discuss Hall of Fame artists:

Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” vs. Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady”

Kraftwerk’s “Home Computer” vs. LL Cool J’s “Around the Way Girl”

Bruce Springsteen’s “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out” vs. Gil Scott-Heron’s “New York is Killing Me”

Tom Waits’ “Anywhere I Lay My Head” vs. James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s World (Live)”

Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream” vs. David Bowie’s “Sound and Vision”

Donna Summer’s  “I Feel Love” vs. Dave Clark Five’s “Glad All Over”

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ “Learning to Fly” vs. Talking Heads’ “Cities” 

They also discuss Hot Chip, Mamas & Papas’ “Creeque Alley,” RHCP vs. Buckethead, and DMX. 

Check out Callum McLean at https://callummclean.me/! 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Aug Stone as they discuss Hall of Fame artists: 

Mamas & the Papas’ “Creeque Alley” vs. The Ramones’ “Come On Now”

Def Leppard’s “Photograph” vs. Michael Jackson’s “Scream”

Ruth Brown’s “This Little Girl's Gone Rockin” vs. Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everyday People”

Dusty Springfield’s “Stay Awhile” vs. Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets”

George Michael’s “Freedom 90” vs. Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me”

Van Halen’s “Unchained” vs. Talking Heads’ “This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)”

Little Richard’s “Hurry Sundown” vs. Kate Bush’s “Hounds Of Love” 

Check out Aug Stone at instagram.com/augxstone/, augstone.com, https://twitter.com/augstone, augstone.substack.com, https://linktr.ee/augstone, and augstone.bsky.social! Also check out https://hbird.bandcamp.com/album/operation-fascination! 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Libby Cudmore as they discuss Hall of Fame artists:

Dion’s “Can't We Be Sweethearts” vs. Green Day’s "Redundant"

Steely Dan’s "The Caves of Altamira" vs. Prince’s “Batdance”

Johnny Cash’s “Cocaine Blues (Live at Folsom State Prison)” vs. Warren Zevon’s "Johnny Strikes Up The Band"

Cyndi Lauper’s "Hole In My Heart (That Goes All the Way To China)" vs. Genesis’ “No Son of Mine”

Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile” vs. Dave Matthews Band’s "The Space Between"   

They also discuss Oh Hello on Broadway and movie soundtracks. 

Check out Libby Cudmore at https://libbycudmore.com/, libbycudmore.bsky.social, https://www.instagram.com/record_saturday, ostparty.bsky.social.  Libby is the author of Negative Girl (Datura 2024) and The Big Rewind (William Morrow 2016) as well as the Wade & Jacks P.I. series. 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Reed Jackson as they discuss Hall of Fame artists: 

Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B” vs. R.E.M.’s “Cuyahoga”

Joni Mitchell’s “The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines” vs. Queen’s “I Want it All”

The Temptations’ “Runaway Child, Running Wild” vs. Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On”

Miles Davis’ “Rated X” vs. ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”

Clash’s “Magnificent Seven” vs. Neil Young’s “Thrasher” 

Reed Jackson is the managing editor of the Spectrum Culture website and a regular contributor to Aquarium Drunkard.  You can also check out Reed at https://x.com/nakedfoul, https://www.instagram.com/blargeld, and https://nakedfoul.substack.com/! 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with Meinard Cuskey as they discuss Hall of Fame artists: 

Public Enemy’s “Harder Than You Think” vs. The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop”

Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” vs. Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ About Love”

Soundgarden’s “Fell on Black Days” vs. Pearl Jam’s “Black”

Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” vs. The Zombies’ “She's Not There”

Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man” vs. Radiohead’s “All I Need” 

They also discuss Buckethead and Nirvana. 

Check out Meinard Cuskey at https://www.instagram.com/meinardcuskey/ and https://www.tiktok.com/@meinard_c; and on Spotify, listen to the Forever is Composed of Nows album by his band Cody’s Porch, and his own EP, Everything I’ve Known. 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Lindsay Patton as they discuss Hall of Fame artists: 

Tom Waits’ “What's He Building” vs. Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know”

Grandmaster Flash’s “It’s Nasty” vs. White Stripes’ “Jolene” (Official Music Video)

Beatles’ “She Loves You”u vs. David Bowie’s “Cat People”

Blondie’s “Rapture” vs. Guns n' Roses’ “It’s So Easy”

O’Jays’ “Back Stabbers” vs. George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” 

They also discuss David Bowie’s “Fashion” and Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message.” 

Check out Lindsay Patton at https://notafitforourpublication.substack.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/pattonlindsay/! 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Jason LeValley as they discuss Hall of Fame artists: 

John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” vs. Paul McCartney’s “Hi, Hi, Hi”

David Bowie’s “Rock n’ Roll Suicide” vs. Journey’s “Separate Ways”

Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam (Live)” vs. Foreigner’s “Head Games” 

They also discuss The Zombies’s “Time of the Season” and Blondie’s “Hanging on the Telephone.” 

Check out Jason LeValley at https://psychedelicscene.com/, https://www.instagram.com/psychedelic_scene/, https://www.youtube.com/@psychedelicscene/videos, and https://www.facebook.com/psychedelic.scene! LeValley has been a regular contributor to the Phoenix New Times music section since March 2025. 

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Music fan Brian Koppen chats with music critic Josh Friedberg as they discuss  Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artists:

Leonard Cohen’s “The Future” vs. Michael Jackson’s “Will You Be There”

Aretha Franklin’s “Ain't No Way” vs. Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs”

Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “Ni**as in Paris” vs. OutKast’s “B.O.B.”

They also discuss Nirvana’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” and Otis Redding.

Check out Josh Friedberg at https://linktr.ee/joshfriedberg, https://joshfrmusic.substack.com/, and https://www.instagram.com/joshfrmusic!

Intro music is from Jussy’s Down Open Roads.  Check out Jussy at https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1!

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Koppen chats with Chicago Comedian Mike Pickerl: 

https://twitter.com/mikepickerl

https://www.facebook.com/mike.pickerl/

https://www.instagram.com/mikepickerl/ 

Music by Jussy (https://soundcloud.com/user-214048265/sets/jussy-demos-1)

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Koppen chats with Chicago Comedian Sara Dirks: 

https://twitter.com/WildDirky

https://www.instagram.com/wilddirky/ 

Music by Horse (https://paulkump.bandcamp.com/track/jog-in-place)

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